MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2020) Health ministers of EU member states will gather on Thursday in Brussels for a special meeting to discuss preparedness of the bloc for existing challenges to prevent the spreading of the new coronavirus within the European Union.
The ministers are expected to exchange views on coordination efforts of the member states to contain the spread of the virus, as well as discuss measures that should be taken by EU countries individually.
The new strain of coronavirus, named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization, was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in the Hubei province in late December and has since spread to more than 20 other countries.
So far, the virus has infected over 45,000 people worldwide, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,110 people. There are over 40 confirmed cases of infection in Europe to date.
